Reciprocating barrel pistol

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a pistol incorporating a unique reciprocating barrel which is supported for reciprocal movement in a pistol frame in a manner reminiscent of a common pistol reciprocating slide with the barrel additionally incorporating an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug combination. 
     The present invention may also optionally employ a unique gas operated barrel delay system which delays the forward movement of the barrel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a pistol incorporating a unique reciprocating barrel which is supported for reciprocal movement in a pistol frame in a manner reminiscent of a common pistol reciprocating slide with the barrel additionally incorporating an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug combination.

The present invention may also optionally employ a unique gas operated barrel delay system which delays the forward movement of the barrel, allowing pressures within the barrel to subside before the extraction of the spent cartridge.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The only discovered relevant prior art to this invention is the inventors provisional patent application No. 61/284,383 received Dec. 16, 2009 and the disclosed patents below. The disclosed patents below all relate to reciprocating barrels which operate without the integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug as disclosed in this patent application. Nor do any of the discovered relevant prior art disclose the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent.

European Patent number GB189402491 (Mannlichar) discloses the use of a semi-automatic pistol which utilizes a reciprocating barrel to facilitate the ejection and reloading of a cartridge, but this design does not use a barrel with an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug as disclosed in this patent application. Nor does this patent application disclose the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent.

European Patent numbers GB224927 (Dibovsky), and GB756769 (Fiorini/Bresciano) discloses the use of a reciprocating barrel for use in firearms, but these designs also do not use a barrel with an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug as disclosed in this patent application. Nor do these patent applications disclose the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent.

U.S. Pat. No. 932,183 (Schwarzlose) also discloses the use of a semi-automatic pistol which utilizes a reciprocating barrel, but this design also does not use a barrel with an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug as disclosed in this patent application. Nor does this patent application disclose the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent.

U.S. Pat. No. 1,487,722 (Coenders) also discloses the use of a semi-automatic pistol which utilizes a reciprocating barrel, but this design also does not use a barrel with an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug as disclosed in this patent application. Nor does this patent application disclose the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 726,109 (Stow), 726,399 (Burgess), 839,911 (Wesson), 886,221 (Hino), 1,429,370 (Putnam) 2,397,572 (Weaver), 2,699,006 (Maerk), 2,835,171 (Lyon), 3,736,839 (Childers), 4,028,994 (Ferluga), 4,061,075 (Smith), 3,990,346 and 5,123,329 (Irwin) disclose the use of a reciprocating barrel, but all of these patents do not disclose an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug as disclosed in this patent application. Nor do these patent applications disclose the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent.

All of the above mentioned prior art exhibited problems with the proper feeding of the cartridge into the barrel due to the lack of an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 580,924 and 708,794 (Browning) relates a cartridge feed ramp integral with the barrel and a cartridge from magazine extracting lug integrated with the slide, but not both integrated into the barrel.

None of the prior art utilizes an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug, which lug allows the reciprocating barrel to perform the operations of properly loading the cartridge into the barrel such as is performed in a manner reminiscent of a slide of a conventional semi-automatic pistol. Nor do these patent applications disclose the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent.

There remains a need for an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug which allows a reciprocating barrel to perform the operations of stripping the cartridge from the magazine and facilitates loading the cartridge into the barrel such as is performed in similar manner of a conventional semi-automatic pistol. Additionally, there remains a need for the use of a gas operated barrel delay system as disclosed in this patent to allow the pressures within the barrel to subside before the extraction of the spent cartridge when required. However, at the time the present Reciprocating Barrel Pistol was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art how these needs could be fulfilled, in view of the prior art as a whole.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pistol which has the advantage of a reciprocating barrel which combines the functions of a pistol barrel with the cartridge stripping from magazine and feeding into the barrel functions of a pistol slide. It is also an object of the present invention to disclose the optional use of a unique gas operated barrel delay system which delays the forward movement of the barrel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The heretofore unfulfilled need for a reciprocating barrel which combines the functions of a pistol barrel with the cartridge stripping from magazine function of a pistol slide is now fulfilled by the invention disclosed in this patent application.

All of the known disadvantages of prior art pistols are believed to be overcome by the novel pistol of the present invention.

The novel pistol of the present invention can be thought of as comprising:

a frame unit having a front section and a rear section terminating in fore and aft ends respectively, said front section being trough shaped defining a pair of spaced apart side walls and a bottom wall for forming the bottom of said trough and interconnecting said spaced apart side walls, with said spaced apart side walls optionally incorporating baffles intended to work against the flow of gases emanating from the barrel;

a barrel unit slidable on said frame unit in a manner reminiscent of current state of the art pistol slide designs, said barrel comprising a bore for a bullet to pass therethrough, said bore having a muzzle and breech ends wherein the breech end incorporates an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug combination, and wherein said barrel may optionally incorporate a hole or holes which allow the communication of gases from a location within the bore to a location outside of the barrel, which location outside of the barrel directly communicates with a baffle integral to the spaced apart side walls which baffles are specifically designed to oppose the force of these gases. Therefore when the barrel moves forward due to the pressure of the expanding gases within the bore, the gases traversing the aforementioned optional hole or holes abut against the optional baffles in the frame imparting a restricting force to the movement of the barrel, effectively delaying the forward movement of the barrel, which delayed movement allows the gas pressures within the bore to subside to a safe level before the extraction and ejection of the spent cartridge.

The present invention also discloses the use of a double action only trigger and hammer mechanism. The operation of this type of double action trigger and hammer mechanism is well known, and other types of trigger and hammer mechanisms such as a single action or combination single/double action trigger and hammer mechanisms are well known, anticipated, and within the scope of the present invention.

This patent application also discloses the use of a cartridge extractor. Pistol cartridge extractors are understood and well known in the trade and within the scope of this invention.

The features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will best be understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is front view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is rear view of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is section view taken along line A-A of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front isometric view of the barrel;

FIG. 6 is a rear isometric view of the barrel;

FIG. 7 is a front isometric view of the frame;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the present invention pistol illustrating the trigger mechanism;

FIG. 9 is a side view of the barrel return spring assembly;

FIG. 10 is a front isometric view of the barrel return spring assembly;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the cartridge magazine, and in particular detail the direction of movement of the cartridge required for extraction from the magazine.

With the following numeric designations.

-   Pistol 10 -   Pistol fore end 10A -   Pistol aft end 10B -   Frame 12 -   Frame breech face 12A -   Frame gas baffles 12B -   Frame fore end 12C -   Frame aft end 12D -   Frame barrel-accommodating section 12E -   Frame trigger section accommodating section 12F -   Frame hammer unit-accommodating section 12G -   Frame magazine-accommodating section 12H -   Frame barrel-accommodating section sidewalls 12I -   Frame barrel-accommodating section base 12J -   Frame elongated grooves 12K -   Frame barrel return spring assembly elongated grooves 12L -   Barrel 14 -   Barrel cartridge from magazine extraction lug 14A -   Barrel cartridge feed ramp 14B -   Barrel fore recoil spring attachment means 14C -   Barrel bore 14D -   Barrel fore end 14E -   Barrel aft end 14F -   Barrel gas ports 14G -   Barrel elongated lugs 14H -   Barrel fore movement limiter 14I -   Trigger 16A -   Drawbar 16B -   Trigger-Drawbar spring 16C -   Trigger end 16D -   Magazine 20 -   Magazine tangs 20A -   Magazine cartridge feed notch 20B -   Magazine cartridge release notch 20C -   Magazine release notch 20D -   Magazine cartridge extraction cutout 20E -   Cartridge 20F -   Cartridge from magazine extraction direction 20G -   Magazine release assembly 22 -   Hammer 24A -   Hammer spring assembly 24C -   Hammer spur 24D -   Pistol grips 26 -   Barrel return spring assembly 28 -   Barrel return springs 28A -   Barrel return spring assembly elongated lugs 28B -   Barrel return spring carrier 28C -   Barrel fore movement limiter 28D -   Barrel return spring attachment means 28E -   Barrel return spring assembly retaining pin 30 -   Cartridge extractor 34 -   Firing pin assembly 36 -   Firing pin 36A

Attention is first directed to FIGS. 1, 7, and 11 in connection with which the present invention and optional gas operated system which delays the forward movement of the barrel will first be described.

As will become apparent from the following description of the pistol 10, with its major components consisting of the frame 12, barrel and spring assembly 13, and magazine 20, which are easily assembled and disassembled for maintenance or repair. In FIG. 1 the pistol is shown fully assembled. The figure represents a side view of the pistol with its front or fore end designated by 10A and its rear or aft end by 10B.

As shown in FIG. 7, the frame 12 is designated as having a barrel-accommodating section 12E, a trigger section accommodating section 12F, a hammer unit-accommodating section 12G, a magazine-accommodating section 12H, and optional frame gas baffles 12B.

Section 12E is a trough shaped cross-section and is formed by the vertical spaced apart side walls 12I which are joined together by a base 12J. Elongated grooves are formed in the side walls 12K for engagement with mating barrel elongated lugs 14H for the purpose of facilitating the slidable action of the barrel in the frame.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the barrel 14 has a bore 14D extending from the barrel's fore end 14E, which represents the barrel muzzle end, to aft end 14F, which represents the barrels breech end. Barrel 14 further includes the barrel elongated lugs 14H for the purpose of facilitating the slidable action of the barrel in the frame. Barrel 14 further includes the barrel feed ramp 14B for the purpose of facilitating the feeding of the cartridge into the bore of the barrel and the cartridge from magazine 225 extraction lug 14A for the extraction of the cartridge from the magazine 20.

The shape and construction of a cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine lug are known and well understood by those versed in the art of pistol manufacture, although at this time no known manufacturer has incorporated this combination of cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine lug into a pistol 230 barrel.

As shown in FIG. 4, the barrel 14 further incorporates optional gas ports 14G, which gas ports 14G cooperate with optional frame gas baffles 12B which, upon firing of the cartridge, the resulting gases imparts a restricting force to the fore movement of the barrel, effectively delaying the forward movement of the barrel. The barrel 14 further incorporates a fore recoil spring attachment means 14C whereupon in the preferred embodiment the barrel return springs 28A are fastened.

As seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the Barrel return spring assembly 28 is a spring biasing assembly which consists of the barrel return spring carrier 28C with two barrel return springs 28A attached thereto.

In the preferred embodiment, the Barrel return spring assembly 28 is contained within the trough 12E and secured within by the meshing of the frame barrel return spring assembly elongated grooves 12L and the barrel return spring assembly elongated lugs 28B, with the barrel return spring assembly retaining pin 30 preventing movement of the barrel return spring assembly in the fore and aft direction.

In FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, it can be seen that the Barrel return spring assembly 28 can be slidably removed to the fore by removing the Barrel return spring assembly retaining pin 30. This system allows the quick and uncomplicated removal of both the barrel 14 and the Barrel return spring assembly 28 as one unit thereby 250 facilitating easy cleaning and repairs.

The Barrel return spring assembly 28 also incorporates the barrel fore movement limiter 28D, which is an obstruction which limits the movement of the barrel in the fore direction by abutting against the barrel fore movement surface 14I as the barrel travel forward.

FIG. 12 illustrates the unique cartridge extraction direction 20G of cartridge 20 f from magazine 20. This cartridge extraction direction is a requirement when a magazine is employed for use in a pistol with a reciprocating barrel such as is disclosed in this patent application.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 8 which is a side view of the trigger and hammer units. Therein the trigger 16A is shown pivotally held by a pin to frame 12 and pivotally connected to drawbar 16B such that as trigger 16A rotates about the pin, it moves drawbar 16B in a fore and aft direction.

In particular detail, as trigger 16A rotates such that trigger end 16D moves aft, trigger 16A causes drawbar 16B to move to the fore. As drawbar 16B moves to the fore, it engages hammer spur 24D which causes hammer 24A to rotate. As the hammer rotates, hammer spur 24D disengages from drawbar 16B causing the hammer to quickly return to its original position, whereupon the hammer strikes the firing pin assembly 36 causing firing pin 36A to move forward, striking and igniting the cartridge 20.

The method of operation of the firing pin assembly 36 is known and well understood by those versed in the art of pistol manufacturing.

The expanding gases created by the ignition of the cartridge 20 force the bullet axially through the barrel bore 14D from the Barrel aft end 14F through the Barrel fore end 14E. The bullet is of such size and construction as to exert a friction on the barrel 14 from its contact to the barrel bore 14D such that the barrel 14 is forced due to this friction and expanding gases to move in a fore direction. As barrel 14 moves in the fore direction, Barrel return springs 28A which are attached to the barrel by the Barrel fore recoil spring attachment means 14C and to the carriage by the barrel recoil spring attachment means 28E, exerts a biased force to the barrel in an aft direction.

Referring to FIGS. 11, 6, 10, and 11, as the barrel 14 travels in the fore direction, the cartridge is extracted by the Cartridge extractor 34 and ejected from the pistol 10. The forward movement of the barrel 14 is arrested when Barrel fore movement limiter 14I abuts against the Barrel fore movement limiter 28D.

Once the bullet has travelled through the barrel bore 14D and exited Barrel fore end 14E, the gas pressures within the barrel bore 14D immediately subsides, whereupon the biased force exerted on the barrel to the aft by the Barrel return springs 28A causes an aftward movement of the barrel. As the barrel travels aftward the Barrel cartridge from magazine extraction lug 14A engages a cartridge in the magazine 20, pushing the cartridge in the aft direction. As the cartridge moves in the aft direction, it is released from the magazine 20 and introduced to the Barrel cartridge feed ramp 14B. As the barrel 14 continues to travel to the aft, the cartridge travels up the Barrel cartridge feed ramp 14B until the cartridge is fully inserted into the Barrel bore 14D.

As shown in FIG. 1, the rearward movement of the barrel 14 is arrested when the Barrel aft end 14F abuts against the Frame breech face 12A. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pistol 10 may also optionally employ a unique gas operated barrel delay system which delays the forward movement of the barrel wherein the barrel may incorporate a hole or holes which allow the communication of gases from a location within the bore to a location outside of the barrel, which location outside of the barrel directly communicates with a baffle integral to the frame which baffles are specifically designed to oppose the force of these gases. Therefore when the barrel 14 moves forward due to the pressure of the expanding gases within the barrel bore 14D, the gases traversing the optional Barrel gas ports 14G abut against the optional Frame gas baffles 12B imparting a barrel fore movement delaying force effectively delaying the forward movement of the barrel, which delayed movement allows the gas pressures within the bore to lower to a safe level before the extraction and ejection of the cartridge case.

When the trigger is released, the trigger-drawbar spring 16C returns the trigger to its initial state and simultaneously resets the position of the Drawbar 16B to a state ready to reengage the hammer spur 24D, and therefore readying the pistol for another cycle of operation.

Triggers mechanisms of this type are known and well understood by those versed in the art of pistol manufacturing.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated herein, it is recognized that modifications and variations may readily occur to those skilled in the art and consequently, it is intended that the claims be interpreted to cover such modifications and equivalents. 

1. In a fully operating pistol including: a frame unit having a front section and a rear section terminating in fore and aft ends thereof, respectively; said front section being trough shaped defining a pair of spaced apart side walls and a bottom wall for forming the bottom of said trough and interconnecting said spaced apart side walls, with said spaced apart side walls optionally incorporating baffles intended to work against a flow of gases; a barrel unit slidable on said frame unit in a manner reminiscent of current pistol slide designs, said barrel defining an axial bore for a bullet to pass therethrough; said bore having a muzzle and breech ends wherein the breech end incorporates an integrated cartridge feed ramp and cartridge from magazine extracting lug combination; said barrel may OPTIONALLY incorporate; a hole or holes which allow the communication of gases from a location within the bore to a location outside of the barrel, which location outside of the barrel directly communicates with said spaced apart side walls may optionally incorporate baffles with the express purpose of resisting the flow of these gases which have communicated from within the bore to a location outside of the barrel.
 2. A fully operated pistol as recited in claim 1 wherein; a barrel return spring carrier unit slidably supported on said frame unit within said front section between said spaced apart side walls and located between said barrel unit and the lower wall of the trough and including a barrel fore movement limiter and a return spring attachment means.
 3. A fully operated pistol as recited in claim 2 wherein; a biasing means comprising one or more barrel return springs disposed beneath said barrel unit and engaged to the fore end of the barrel unit and the aft end of the barrel return spring carrier. 